This Italian bread dough is by far the best I've made, at over 120% hydration. Thanks to using yudane, which is a paste formed by mixing flour with boiling water, I get these really big holes reminiscent of refined flour bakery bread yet enjoy the whole grain, fresh flour version at home! This recipe has even bigger holes, and better crumb than our original Freshly Milled Italian Bread Recipe and our 100% Spelt Italian Bread, which is also fresh milled.
If you want to make this Italian bread without vital wheat gluten, I totally get it. Just a reminder that if you can tolerate fresh flour - gluten is NOT the issue. The chemicals added to the grains before harvesting or while processing into refined flour is the problem, unless you've got Celiac disease. That said, I'm a fan of using organic vital wheat gluten to lessen any chemical exposure. It really isn't much - maybe 2 tablespoons for the whole loaf. That's MUCH less than most use. Notes are in the recipe for making it without but it won't turn out the same. If you do it, please share and tag me so I can see your beautiful creations!
I used a mixture of grains today, but you can use all hard wheat if you like. Enjoy - this is my personal favorite!
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